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"cleans close to carpet edge"

"easy to clean"

well-designed

compact

lightweight

Disadvantages

"only one attachment"

"short flexi-hose"

"a bit pricey"

Brilliant design, easy to carry and store. Lasting well.

We've had this vacuum cleaner now for about 4 years and it is still going strong. We do look after our stuff, so I would expect it to be lasting well, particularly having spent more on this than we would have done on cheaper brands. However, we don't regret it. The design is extremely clever and I marvel at the people who invent these things. The way the removable filters and dust container clip in and out is very neat. Even though it is very small and hence the collection container needs emptying frequently, it is quite easy to clean and not a problem. I like to ensure maximum suction by getting my husband to blast it with his air-line compressor occasionally, which stops the machine from becoming asthmatic! The suction power is pretty good - not the best I've known, but for a small vacuum, I don't think you can complain. For the benefit of having something very easy to store and use, I am very happy with it's capacity. For someone who is not that strong or who has a bad back, I would recommend this, because you can easily carry it up stairs and manoevre it around corners, without a battle.
I would say the main draw-back is the very short flexi-hose. Although you can attach the rigid pipe to the end, I prefer to use a flexible pipe with a crevice tool. It would be better if it came with a narrower crevice tool, not just the upholstery brush attachment. I would also say the power lead is slightly on the short side and I have to move the plug a few times, but this is not a big deal, because it keeps the bulk of cable stored on the machine to a minimum.

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great hoover

****Introduction****===================My VAX hoover decided to blow up on me but luckily my partner had moved in with me and bought along his Dyson DC24. I hadn't ever had much experience with a Dyson before and heard mixed reviews from them. My grandparents have one which they had to have replaced as their first one blew up too which was probably down to them not knowing the needed to clean the filters inside. This is why my VAX blew up. One of the filters (which wasn't labelled or obvious it was a filter) hadn't ever been cleaned and it overheated and made a huge BANG. So now, the Dyson is in my life.

****What does it do?****======================The DC24 has a few features which makes hoovering so much easier. The vacuum is sat on a ball which make manoeuvring that much easier and I can easily get round corners, get under the table and chairs without having to move everything out of the way. It is so powerful that it pulls the kitchen flooring up when I'm hoovering! Luckily it doesn't pull it out from underneath the cupboards but it just shows me how well the suction works on this machine. My partner, James bought this 2 years ago so even after 2 years of use, it still is as powerful as the first day.

The bottom of the vacuum has a rotating bar inside where the hoover sucks everything up. This has some red bristles on to help pick up hairs and to pull any crumbs towards the suction hole. This part for us is really helpful as my hair tends to fall out quite often or it just collects in the carpet, so when hoovering, I can pull it all up and it collects round the bristles and I just have to pull it out.

The cable is easily stored away. With my VAX it was stored internally by pressing a button and it would wrap itself inside the hoover. This vacuum wraps around the outside at the back and has two hooks which you rotate them around and a clip near the plug to keep it all from falling off. The handle can be pushed down too to make it even smaller and you just need to pull it up and wait for the click when in use. To start the machine, you just simply plug it in to the wall socket and press the on button which is situated at the top of the machine.

If you need to hoover up the stairs or maybe ceilings or hard to reach crevices, you can use the hose. You push the big red button which is situated at the front of the handle and it pulls the handle off. You then use the end of the handle and attach it to the hose pipe section which is very stretchy and manoeuvrable to be able to get it into the places you need. I use this part to hoover the stairs as its almost impossible for me to use the normal section for this. It comes with an attachment with bristles on which I use on the stairs and I can also use it on the skirting boards to get the dust off them.

I don't have a huge house so this vacuum is perfect for us. It does get filled pretty quickly and I find myself emptying it once a week or more often. I live about 50 yards from a train track so it can get pretty dusty when windows are left open. The most impressive part of this machine is that I find I don't spend ages hoovering. I can hoover the rug in no time, and 10 minutes later, the whole downstairs is done. With my old hoover this would have taken over 25 minutes due to it's rubbish suction.

****Emptying and cleaning****===========================Emptying the DC24 is simple. There are two clips you need to press to get the filter out and you just empty it into the bin. I usually put it in a separate bag to stop it from escaping every time I open the bin. You will definitely notice a drastic difference when you first use this machine. The amount of dust that was inside the filter when I first used it on carpeted areas in the house was amazing. It made me feel ill to know my previous hoover was leaving all this behind and not doing it's jobs properly. It must have sucked it out from right down into the weave of the carpets whereas the old hoover was just taking it off the surface.

Cleaning the filter is so easy. It shows you on the vacuum where the filters are. You simply take them out clean them in water and let them dry out. Don't put them back in without letting them dry or they will get clogged up. I've cleaned them out once so far and I have checked them since and they don't need cleaning out again yet. It might be that possibly you need to clean the filters if the vacuum's suction power has dropped. Just give it a good clean out and also clear out the bristles of the bar in the foot of the machine.

****My Thoughts****==================I love this vacuum and I am so glad its now mine. James picked a good one and I am so grateful to him for bringing it here. It's definitely 100 times better than any of the other vacuum's I have used in the past. It's so easy to carry up the stairs as it's a lightweight hoover and I can get it up there no problem. My previous hoover was a pull along with the hose so it was awkward for me to carry up but this is so compact when it's all put away that I don't struggle at all. I think Dyson have created a great piece of technology by sitting the hoover or a ball as the ease of use is 100%. I have no problems with it and haven't in the 2 months it's been here with me and with having a child, I hoover 3-4 times a week so It's had lots of use here.

The vacuum isn't too loud on carpeted areas but on laminate and linoleum, it makes a horrible loud noise. When I move house in a few weeks time, we move to somewhere which is mainly carpeted so the noise level won't be so bad. I think this vacuum is incredible and the noise is not a problem because it get the place clean!.

****Recommendations****=========================I would be more than happy to recommend this vacuum to anyone who was on the hunt for a new one. On looking at prices, it's selling for around £215 and upwards. I give the hoover 5/5 stars for giving my carpets a great clean and keeping them clean each time I hoover. It's definitely worth the investment and I doubt I will be switching to any other brand of vacuum any time soon.

Thanks for reading my review.

Helen190390

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If you can afford it, buy it!

This is my first Dyson and I have only had it a few weeks and I have to say I will never ever buy another brand - it is absolutely fantastic.At the moment, Argos are doing a deal where you can take any old vacumm (and my was very old!) in to the store and 'part exchange' it for a dyson. The % off differs but works out at about 20% which is a fantatsic saving.

I love the look of the vacuum, it is ultra modern in clear plastic, grey and yellow with various bits and bobs attached to aid you in cleaning various parts of your home like between the gaps in the sofa, the mattress, skirting boards and curtains. All of the attachments detach and go back on easy and are made really well and strong. The machine is light too and compact enough to carry from room to room and up and down the stairs.

If you are using the vacuum as a regular upright hoover, the ball makes gliding round the furniture really really easy and as you dont have to vigorously push and pull, your floor stays scratch free. I have also found that the vacuum is relatively quiet, giving out more of a humming noise rather than a 'wherrrrrrrrrrr' which keeps the kids happier when they are trying to watch the tele.

The vacuum, like most modern devices is bag-less which means that once you have bought the machine, you shouldnt have to shell out on any further expensives. The dust collected goes through a filter and into the cylinder, which is transparent and so allows you to see how much has mounted up and when to empty. I have found that it holds quite a lot (1.4 litres at max capacity) The cyclinder removes with ease and empties easy too. The device allows you to tip all the rubbish and dust into the bin or a carrier bag with spillage and therefore without sneezes!...Great for allergy sufferers. On that note, this machine is actually accredited by the British Allergy Foundation. The filter is easily cleaned in just water, I havent cleaned mine yet but friends and family tell me that monthly is more than enough.

The vacuum is height adjustable which is great for storage and transportation. The Dyson ball is a brilliant all-in-one vacuum that works well on varying surfaces and furniture, Its not a cheap buy but comes with a 5 year guarantee and so bearing that in mind, and if you can afford to pay the current price I would recommend it to anyone.

ps: Great for pet hairs and liquid spillages too.

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Great vacuum even gets up my dog's hairs

This is my second Dyson vacuum cleaner and I doubt I will ever buy another brand, I am that pleased with the products. My original one is still going strong, I gave it away when I moved overseas not expecting to come back to the UK.

The Dyson ball vacuum is a curious looking object, all in yellow and grey, it looks a bit alien. The parts are all made of very sturdy plastic, most of them come apart following little diagrams located on the machine, and a lot of them you can purchase from Dyson and replace yourself.

The 'ball' has been heavily advertised and means the vacuum can be manoeuvred very easily around objects, under tables and along skirting boards. This really does work, pushing the machine around the house couldn't be easier.

The vacuum isn't too heavy, but this version is a slimmer, smaller model than my old original one. I find it no problem to carry around and up stairs.

The ball has one of 2 filters inside. Monthly you should remove these filters, wash them in water , dry them, then pop them back. This is one of the great things about Dyson, for people like me who never remember to buy new filters, washable ones are the way to go. Not to mention the environmental benefits. These filters really take a lot of dirt out of the air, they help those with allergies but as I'm not a suffer, can't really comment on this.

The suction is very powerful and picks up my dog's hairs a treat. The cylinder is transparent so you can see the dirt collected in the 'cyclone'. You can also see how quickly it fills up. Its best to empty this very frequently as the efficiency does reduce when it gets near full. This is where this slimmer model falls down a bit, I have to empty this every week which is about 4 uses. Emptying is easy though, you remove the whole cyclinder, then hold it over the bin and push the button. The lid flaps open on hinges and the contents fall out. If it's not too full, you don't have to touch the dirt, it just slips out.

You can turn off the brushes so the vacuum can be used on hard floors. I use this in my kitchen which is lino and it works just as well.

There is a wand, which means you can pull out the handle which can be joined to the hose and vacuum the ceilings removing spider webs and dust. The power of the suction is lost a bit when you use the wand though. You can also use some hand tools which clip simply to the hose for corners of the floor, for upholstery, and for the car. The tools all have their storage place on the machine to keep them together and organised. Using the wand and the hand tools is a little tricky though if you are over enthusiastic because the vacuum body is light, it is easy to pull it over yanking the hose about.

The lead is a bit shorter than I'd like, but is plenty long enough for the average room.

The handle slides down inside itself making it short enough to fit in a small cupboard, or fit easily into the back of the car.

I am very happy with this vacuum and would recommend the Dyson brand.

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nice easy to work hoover with great suction and gets into those hard to reach places.

I got my dyson ball hoover as a christmas presnet 2010.. i thought it was my other halfs idea of a sick joke, imagine getting a hoover as a present!! The dyson ball is a simple yet elegant all rounder its very easy to use, esay to empty and it can reach all those little hard to get places around the house, especially the carpet around the skirting, which makes things alot easier. I use mine on carpets and rugs, it also has a button to change the brush at the bottom so I can use it on laminate, real wood floors and vinyl flooring to. The cable is a good length to at about 12ft so i dont have to keep changing plugs for everyroom. The only bad thing about is taking the handle off to use the tube hoover at the top, its quite awkward to work and very short... not so good for stairs. I have never had any problems with my dyson ball

It cost £199.99 from amazon and comes in yellow and purple.

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A fantastic piece of technology that is very easy to use. A must have!!

What an amazing product, Mr. Dyson you are a genius! This small light weight product is perfect for all homes/flats/caravans/mobile homes/bugalows the list could go on. This vacuum is perfect for all, it is light weight so can easily clean the stairs, previously whilst heavily pregnant I fell down the stairs with our old heavy bulky hoover, with this little bundle of joy it was made easy and 2years down the line I have yet to take a fall.

This hoover we brought from John Lewis with some vouchers given to us for our wedding. It was £209 in the sale which I believed to be a little pricey at the time and my husband really pushed for us to buy it. A sales assisstant explained all the functions on it and the fact it could hoover the kitchen floor with a malting dog began changing my mind. It manoevers easily with the brilliant ball technology, and due to the light weight can be used by anyone. I wish my grandparents had had one as it is perfect for the elderly and the poorly.

This hoover has been a life changer it hoovers the whole house top to bottom, we have a spaniel that malts everywhere and picks up his hair brilliantly. It is fairly loud but we regularly hoover once our little one is asleep and it never wakes her. The hoover is small so does not take up alot of room in the cupboard which is another winner!

I have occasionally blocked the hoover and have managed to unblock it easily. It does need to be emptied with every use as the cylinder is small but thats a small price to pay for a fantastic piece of technology.

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Another Quality Vacuum Cleaner from Dyson

It took a marriage proposal for the gifts given to me by friends and family to instantly change over night from items that were purely for my enjoyment to those that were practical gifts for our new home. This vacuum cleaner is a good example of the latter; however it has been a very practical gift for which I am now extremely grateful looking back.

The Dyson DC24 is a great example of Dyson technology, which for those who have not tried before is a reliable and reputable company who churn out stylish and practical products time and time again. This product is a very lightweight and small household helper which uses roller ball technology to get into all those hard to reach areas. A great benefit of Dyson cleaners is their ability to have completely detachable parts and this product demonstrates this by having filters which can be taken out and washed and sections which can come apart to enable easy cleaning inside the body of the machine. Every part of the machine and the instruction manual have easy to read illustrations to demonstrate which way the sections should be put back, therefore it is very unlikely that anything can go wrong upon dissection. The price of this product is expensive given the price of similar cleaners on the market, although the performance and delivery of the machine easily outweigh this minor point.

The greatest and most notable feature of this cleaner is the petite nature of the product in relation to other upright vacuum cleaners on the market. This makes it ideal for living in smaller apartments or houses due to the ease with which it can be lifted and stored out of sight. This feature also makes the cleaner extremely manoeuvrable as it is very lightweight, a concept which was greatly appreciated by a female relative using my Dyson who is only 5 feet tall. The vacuum is very stylish in appearance and has an easy to use extendable hose to which the upright arm section can be unclipped giving a hand held nozzle.

For those who live in houses with hard floors, this vacuum has rotating brushes which can be turned on and off using a small switch, which means that you can easily go from carpeted flooring to tiled in an instant and not risk scratching the hard surface. Whilst the brush machine is noisy, it does provide good suction and can be used for an array of dirt with the exclusion of brick dust. Additionally, this vacuum comes with a five year guarantee, which warrants the initial expense of buying the product, as if anything goes wrong Dyson will replace the parts.

I had been an owner of this cleaner for 6 months when I had my first and only failure and that was that the brush area of the machine sparked and then stopped rotating. A call to Dyson and they not only replaced the faulty part within one week but also sent an engineer round to detach and install the new section. It should be pointed out at this stage however that the company were particularly keen for me to have the receipt to show to the engineer to prove that I had bought the machine new, therefore should you chose to buy this product it is worthwhile keeping all receipts safely stored for the odd chance you may need them.

Whilst the size of the machine makes it ideal for living in smaller residences, the cable unfortunately also reflects this and therefore does not give the machine a long reach. This often means that you can do one room and have to unplug and move the cleaner to plug it into the next room, which is something that you do not find in many upright vacuum cleaners. The small nature of the hoover also means that if you are tall, you may end up stooping slightly to run it around the room. Another minor problem with the machine is it's noise which is quite loud given the small size of the cleaner. However the performance more than enough undermines this minor defect.

To surmise, this is a reliable and good quality vacuum cleaner, which prides itself on the new technology it emanates and delivers thoroughly clean floor surfaces time and time again. It is well worth saving the money and buying this quality product which will last (as it has in my case) for years to come!!

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Great for a small house - ideally a bungalow

Oooh Mr. Dyson is a clever chap! You would think by now he had gone as far as he could go with the vacuum cleaner, but this man keeps on inventing new twists.

The Dyson Ball (DC15) first came out in 2005. This year, it has been superceded by the DC25, similar but lighter, and the DC24, built altogether on a smaller scale.

The idea of the ball is great. Instead of having to keep of the wheels of the machine on the ground, which makes for quite a bit of resistance when turning corners, the Dyson 24 (and the other Ball machines) runs on the ball. It's connected to the pick-up head by a rotating joint, which means that the head stays flat to the floor while the rest of the machine dances round corners. This works superbly well: it's brilliantly manoeuvrable.

The point of the DC24 is to provide a lighter version of the DC25. We bought it for bungalow use: it's worth noting that if you live in a house with stairs that unless you have short flights then you will find yourself cleaning from top and bottom, so I wouldn't recommend this machine there so much - there could be a danger of it being pulled down from a top step. On the other hand, it's dead easy to carry and to move around as it weighs just 5.4kg, as opposed to 7, 8 or more for most upright vacuum cleaners.

When the DC24 arrives, you have to put it together to some extent, and you have to accept the guidebook's instructions, which are all in pictures. I like pictures, but I like words as well, and I feel that the instructions were short. OK, most people know what a hoover does, but there are first-time users all over the world, and I don't feel that picture instructions do the job properly.

That being said, I enjoy working out how things fit together without consulting the instruction manual until desperate, and I didn't find any problems with the DC24.

It stores really well, as the vertical handle is telescopic. In the picture, if you imagine the two handles being in position next to each other, then that is how it can be stored, so it doesn't take up much cupboard space.

Basic operation is simple. There's a big red button to make it go (and stop). This automatically turns on the brush mechanism, but this can be switched off by pressing a button next to the Big Red. We have found that the brush mechanism is brilliant for getting up dog hairs - you wouldn't believe that a labrador could moult so much in a week! As it's a Dyson, the head keeps very close to the floor and the suction is excellent.

The only attachment provided is a small suction brush. This stores neatly on the machine - a much better system than some previous Dysons, where the attachments live rather precariously and messily on a ring around the hose. To use the suction brush, you take off the handle, and then connect the brush to a spring-wound tube that can be drawn out from the rear of the DC24. This is another neat storage idea. The tube extends quite a bit - certainly enough to get under tricky items of furniture, and you can make it longer by clipping the handle (inverted) to the spring-wound tube, thus enabling some serious cobweb busting to take place.

Because this is a small machine, the dust container is small. I would estimate that we have to empty this one twice as often as with our DC08. On the plus side, emptying is easy, and cleaning is very easy - again a bit of a problem with some previous Dysons. Regular maintenance otherwise consists of washing the two filters. One is easy to access - the other, actually in the ball, is rather harder to get to. Once wahsed, you leave them to air-dry for 24 hours.

There's also a possible issue with the length of the flex, which is only 20 feet. If you have plenty of electrical sockets, then this should not be too much of a problem, although it's quite irksome having to replug a machine several times. The best solution is probably to attach an extension lead that is long enough. Cable storage is on the budget side - you wind it round two plastic hooks at the read of the machine. I'm not too keen on this, as in the end it puts strain on the cable and the hooks: it's best if you remember to wind it up different ways each time. I prefer the cable storage on the DC08, which zips into the machine on a spool when you press a button.

It's fine for sound. You don't expect a vacuum cleaner to be silent, especially when it's produced to be light in weight, and the sound this one makes at least tell you that the motor is working fast. The handle makes it easy to carry - Dyson have obviously thought about this carefully and found the best balance point. It looks good, with a nice gold element in the colour scheme. Mechanically, it's clever, although I have to say that it doesn't feel wholly robust. We've not had it long, so this is not to say that it won't last for ages, but, like my golf swing, there seem to be a lot of moving parts!

Safety - if you mistakenly run the head over something that the DC24 is not deisgned to pick up, or it gest clogged, e.g. with threads, then there is an automatic cut-off for the brush mechanism, thus protecting it. Once you have removed the obstruction, this can be reset with a pop-in button.

Price......well you will know that Dysons are not cheap. I've seen this on the Net at over £300, but we got ours on Amazon for £194 and it took just four days to arrive with free delivery.

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Dyson forever

I had put off purchasing a dyson in the past mainly due to the expense and because I had heard differing reviews. However last year, when faced with yet another vacuum cleaner breaking down, I decided to buy a Dyson.

It cost about £249 which is the most I have ever paid for a vacuum cleaner in my life!! The main reason I chose it was due to the compact size. I live in a smallish flat and space is not in abundance. The Dyson is small on size but with no loss of suction. It fits very nicely into my airing cupboard!

Features - The handle extends to full size and compacts down for storage and ease of carrying. The hose is built in to the handle which again means no awkward long hoses to find storage for. The main feature is probably the 'ball' which means the Dyson manouvres easily around furniture and awkward spaces. It really can get into every nook and cranny. The suction power is excellent and I was fascinated at how much dust/dirt was picked up. The clear container makes it really easy to see when it needs to be emptied. Hoovering became quite a novelty for a couple of weeks!

I use it on carpet, laminated floor and lino and it has the same great results on all surfaces. I like that it is lightweight to carry and the lead is very long. The filters are easy to remove and clean. I have cleaned it regularly and nothing has needed replacing so far.

But the best thing about my Dyson is that when I accidentally got something lodged in the brush bar, I did not realise there is a safety mechanism to stop it turning and prevent injury. I called the Dyson Customer Service helpline on a Sunday afternoon, I spoke to a VERY helpful and patient lady who gave me very straightforward instruction on how to reset the safety mechanism so the brush bar would turn again. I love good customer service and would have no qualms about calling Dyson for help or advice again.

In summary, I would happily recommend this to anyone with a small property or someone unable to lift heavy items. I would only buy Dyson in the future

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Excellent product, worth every penny & would recommend

Pros: Lightweight, powerful, easy to operate & easy to cleanCons: none that I have found so far!

I finally decided to take the plunge & buy a dyson even although the initial out lay can seem expensive, I would have to say it is worth every penny. There are no on going running costs apart from the electricity, no bags to replace. The suction power is amazing & proved my previous vacuum was rotten & didn't get half as much dust as the dyson. Its lightweight, easy to take up & down stairs which is important when your 8 & 1/2 months pregnant. The attachments work easily. Its compact to store. Its easy to take apart to clean & you will be amazed how much dust is in your home as you can actually see into the dyson. It works well on carpets & hard floors such as laminate & tiles. Would I recommend this product to a friend YES, I did, to my sister & she bought one & loves it too :)

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A great vacuum cleaner for all floors

===Why I bought it===When we bought our first house about 6 months ago I refused to get any other vacuum cleaner than a Dyson, after hearing such great things about them and after struggling with rubbish vacuum cleaners at uni. I wasn't too bothered about which model, but in the end we purchased this one as it was on offer in Tesco for about £200, if I remember correctly.

===My opinion===Having used the Dyson ball vacuum for about 6 months now, I can say that it has lived up to expectations. First and foremost, the suction is fantastic! It never loses suction and picks up just about anything.

We have a mixture of carpets and wood/laminate floors in our house and the Dyson performs equally well on both. I use it on the tiled kitchen floor as well. I have used all of the attachments, which work well. The extra long handle is brilliant for reaching the ceiling/top of door frames etc.

The ball feels quite strange to begin with as it is so much easier to maneuver than a traditional vacuum cleaner. Almost like a car with very light steering! It is a really good design though, as it makes it easier to get into little gaps and get closer to furniture.

It is quite compact for an upright vacuum cleaner, which is good for storing it, as well as carrying it upstairs. Although the capacity is big enough that it doesn't need emptying too often.

The only downside I have found is that emptying can be quite messy. I always seem to get dust everywhere - even though the opening mechanism appears to be well designed. I suppose that is one disadvantage of a bag-less cleaner. Unless I am just not doing it right!

It is also quite expensive for a vacuum cleaner, but I think the price is worth paying.

===Recommendation===I would definitely recommend this vacuum cleaner. It works so much better than any I've used before, which makes this higher price tag worth it.

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A versatile, compact and lightweight upright Dyson

When I moved house last year I left behind my little Panasonic vacuum cleaner which I had bought purely for cleaning the stairs. As I was downsizing considerably I couldn't really justify keeping it and I felt the new buyer of my old home would appreciate something which had been bought purely with that house in mind.

What I had forgotten however is how heavy my Dyson DC04 is. I've had this vacuum for over 7 years now and it's been a veritable workhorse for me. I love it except for one thing - the weight of it. As I get older I find it more and more of a chore to carry it up and down stairs - even just one small flight of stairs.

I decided that I would like to get a lightweight Dyson to use upstairs, and all research pointed to the DC24 which is an upright but is compact and light. Unfortunately the DC24 has a very high recommended retail price of £275, which I couldn't justify as a second vacuum.

I decided to buy one when Costco put the cleaner on offer - meaning it would come in at £188 - still expensive - but probably the best deal I would get. I must admit I was nervous - I had read mixed reviews of the cleaner but had concluded that it fitted the bill for upstairs cleaning and went ahead and bought it.

~~General Information~~

The DC24 Multi Floor is the most lightweight upright vacuum cleaner Dyson produce. It weighs just 5.4 kilos - which compares brilliantly to my DC04 which is a whopping 8.1 kilos. Of course lightweight and compact means this is basically a "stripped down" machine - the cable cord and hose are both shorter and the dust canister smaller than on a full size Dyson.

Out of the box it does require a little assembly but this isn't complicated - basically the handle with hose and brush bar have to be attached but they click into place very easily.

The instruction manual is very easy to follow - pictures are used to show you how to assemble your DC24 and how to turn the machine on and off.

The DC24 has a telescopic handle, which means you can push it downwards making this a very compact vacuum to store away. This was the deal breaker for me - light to carry and easy to store - perfect for my upstairs cleaner. It's worth noting that you can't carry the vacuum using the telescopic hose handle however - if you want to carry this there is a small handle on top of the dust canister.

The cleaner only comes with one attachment for hose cleaning - this is a floor cleaner so if you wanted a brush cleaner attachment or a crevice tool you would have to buy this separately. The attachment sits neatly in place on the vacuum when not in use and unlike some of the attachments on my DC04, this one doesn't fall off.

~~Using the DC24~~

Although I have been using a Dyson cleaner for some time now, the DC24 represented a change for me with its ball. Rather than have wheels, the Dyson uses a ball for supposedly more efficient movement. I must admit I didn't buy the cleaner because of the ball - the weight was my biggest concern when it came to choosing this machine - but having used the machine now I have to say I love the ball.

The ball is the first thing you notice on the DC24 - it is large and yellow, surrounded by silver plastic and the clear dust canister. There are two wheels at the back of the cleaner but these are effectively for moving the cleaner from place to place - ball power kicks in when you use the foot pedal to raise the wheels up before turning on the power.

Turning the DC24 on is a piece of cake - there is a large red power button you can't miss. The cleaner is a multi floor machine, meaning it works on hard floors or carpeted ones. You need to turn off the brush bar when vacuuming on hard floors and this is easily done using the switch beside the power button. The vacuum default means the brush bar is always on so it's worth remembering this if you have predominantly hard floors.

Suction on this vacuum is excellent - as I would have expected from a Dyson. This makes light work of my bathroom floor for instance - this room for some reason is a dust magnet - and I am happy to use the vacuum both as an upright with the hard floor setting and using the hose with the attachment tool for around skirting boards and other nooks and crannies.

The vacuum is fairly noisy - but certainly not as noisy as my DC04. I would expect this in light of the fact this is a smaller machine of course.

The hose is fairly straightforward to use but it's worth noting at this point that it's nowhere near as long as the telescopic hose on larger Dysons. The hose involves you removing the entire handle from the main body of the Dyson, turning it upside down and attaching that to the concertinaed part of the hose which is permanently attached to the vacuum cleaner and then putting the attachment tool on at the end. I tried to use this to clean my stairs but it doesn't stretch right up to the top, meaning I could only clean half the stairs from the bottom and had to do the rest taking the cleaner up to the top of the stairs and working down - something I dislike doing as I live in fear of the vacuum cleaner falling down the stairs.

I wasn't too bothered by this however - I had specifically bought this cleaner for use upstairs only but this is fairly crucial if you are looking for a vacuum that can cope with your stairs easily.

The cord, which measures just over 6 metres, is another factor to consider - the cord is over 2 metres longer on my DC04. This isn't too big a deal for me as I am only using the cleaner upstairs and it's easy enough to switch the plug from room to room but once again it's something to consider if this were to be your main vacuum cleaner.

I do think this machine works at its very best on carpets. The ball ensures the vacuum glides easily around and because the brush bar is narrow it can go a good few inches underneath furniture for cleaning. The motorised brush bar is particularly effective - picking up dirt which has penetrated the carpet. The DC24 is designed to handle pet hair too but as I have no pets I cannot comment on that. It has HEPA root cyclone technology which Dyson claims produces cleaner expelled air.

The dust canister is easy to remove and empty. It empties from the bottom however - unlike the bin on my DC04 - worth noting so you avoid having the contents of your vacuum landing on your feet! It is easy to remove and empty.

~~Maintaining the Vacuum~~

What I love about Dysons is the design makes maintenance fairly easy and with one minor exception, the DC24 doesn't disappoint.

As already mentioned it's easy to remove the canister and it is easy to clean too by using a brush and a damp cloth. The DC24 has two foam filters - one is located on top of the dust canister and is a piece of cake to remove for cleaning. The second filter is located in the ball and this is slightly trickier to remove to clean but not impossible to do. Filters should be cleaned once a month - clean in clear water and allow a full 24 hours for them to dry before replacing them in your vacuum.

The brush bar is easy to clean too - simply release the brush from the bottom of the machine and remove hairs which have attached to it and replace.

I have yet to encounter a blockage on this machine - perhaps due to the fact I do vacuum as carefully as possible - but the design is such that it's easy to remove the telescopic tube or the brush bar to get to a blockage and clear it.

The DC24 comes with a free 5 year guarantee from Dyson which is easy to activate - you can do so online, by phone or by post.

~~Final Thoughts~~

If you live in a flat or want a second vacuum cleaner, then the DC24 comes highly recommended by me. It's powerful, effective, not too noisy and easy to use. It is also versatile, being able to cope with hard floors or carpeted floors and pet hair. However because the DC24 is so compact it's unsuitable for a larger home because the downsizing of the power cord, dust canister and telescopic hose mean it's just not quite large enough.

As a second vacuum it's been a hit. I love the fact I can store it easily in a cupboard and it doesn't take up a lot of space, thanks to the retractable hose handle. I love how light it is, and the fact the ball makes it so easy to manoeuvre. I also love how easy it is to change this from upright cleaner to hose cleaner and back again - the entire process is very straightforward and quick.

The best thing however is how effective this cleaner is at picking up dirt. The brush bar is even better than that on my DC04 and the suction is better too. It quite simply doesn't miss anything I roll it over and for that reason alone, it's worth the hefty price tag to me.

I do appreciate that hefty price tag means the limitations might put you off. For a second vacuum or if you live in a flat however it's quite simply brilliant.

This is on offer currently in several outlets for £199.

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Great buy.

After a couple of disastrous hoover purchases over the last few years (and my latest one clogging up each time I used it!) I decided to do some research on-line and see which brand/model was highly rated.I had a somewhat small criteria list, a) it must be extremely lightweight as I have a disability, and b) it should be bagless. The Dyson DC24 kept coming up time after time as one which would suffice my needs. With that in mind, my husband and I made the trip to our nearest electrical retail outlet to 'road test' one. This proved to me that it was easy for me to manouvere, and more lightweight than I could of wished for. However on a side note, I noticed that the store wanted almost £100 more for the hoover than I had seen it advertised on-line, so sadly they did not get my business that day.Once home I quickly ordered my new Dyson DC24 and eagerly awaited it's next day delivery.I have to say the hardest part of the assembling/set-up process of the hoover for me was actually getting it out of the- extremely- secure delivery packaging! However, once I had discarded the box the rest was so simple. For those with limited storage like myself, the Dyson DC24 allows compact storage by way of the handle which collapses into the hose. I cannot think of anything I do not like about this Dyson, and would urge anyone thinking of replacing their existing hoover, to invest in one as you will not be dissappointed.

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Good offer but pricey otherwise

This is a review of the lightweight DC24 we recently bought this in white (limited edition) to keep upstairs as I got fed up of lugging our full size dyson upstairs.

I am a big fan of Dyson vacuum cleaners and have had our original (downstairs) one for nine years now. My husband has replaced one part on it and regularly has to cut my hair off the roller brush as it wraps round and round it!!

I spotted the DC24 in our local branch of Currys with £100 off, it was priced £199 and I instantly sold the idea of an upstairs vacuum to my hubby by describing it as it was a limited edition and reminded me of a storm trooper (star wars). He went for it.

This model is lightweight and features a ball for flexibility. It is smaller than average and sits nicely behind the door out of sight when not in use. The dirt collects in a small see through cylinder and it's scary how much can be hiding in the carpet.

Emptying the vacuum is easy and is a one button release so you remove the cylinder, have a bag ready to collect the dirt and press the button hard and the base flips open.

You have all the typical attachments to clean in the nooks and crannies with brushes and a removable hose attachment that is handy for stairs and cleaning cars. A button also gives the rotating brush an on or off option on the main head of the cleaner.

So what do I think? I love it. I was pleased to get the reduced price although I don't think I'd have paid £300 for this. It picks up so much dust and carpet dirt it makes me feel virtuous when cleaning. The ball feature makes it easy to handle and all the tools are handy.

On the downside, the smaller cylinder fills up far too quickly (or is my house dirty?!) and needs emptying more often but you can't have a lightweight smaller machine and not expect this I suppose.

I'd recommend this for a small flat or home but not as a main vacuum for a big house as it may not withstand such heavy duty use but it's perfect for the bedroom carpets and doing the car. You can also use it on mattresses and it has a special attachment for this. This model comes with a free five year guarantee but you must register the product for it to be valid.

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Nice ball work but ineffective on the ground

I was motivated to write this review last night after seeing this product being promoted and sold on the TV shopping channel QVC. We bought this vacuum cleaner about three months ago from John Lewis for £209. QVC were selling it for £269. As usual they were going on about how this was such a fantastic product. I however, have to say that I was a little disappointed with the DC24.

The Dyson DC24 is a compact upright bagless cleaner that has a power consumption of 650 watts. It can be adjusted to vacuum over different floor types - carpets and laminate flooring etc. Like so many of the bagless uprights these days, it uses the HEPA replaceable and washable filter system. And like most Dysons it looks like an impressive piece of kit until you actually get it up and running and realise it's more about style and less about function.

A major letdown for me was the suction power. The QVC sales guy gave an impressive demonstration last night but have you noticed how they always use dry particles such as couscous or rice to suck up and never those clingy bits of fluff that congregate on most living room carpets? I would like to emphasize: this cleaner isn't all that amazing when it comes to hoovering those little bits of fluff that cling to a carpet. The lack of suction power is either down to the low 650 watt output or the fact that the dust compartment always fills up rapidly meaning the filters get clogged or a combination of both. The cleaner itself and it's array of onboard tools allow you to get into most nooks and crannies but pick up is average at best. I was surprisingly most impressed with the patented ball technology, something I initially regarded as little more than a marketing gimmick. The ball design does make this cleaner easier to manoeuvre around furniture and doorways - as the Dyson blurb says "It rides on a ball, so there's no more pushing back and forth to turn corners".

At 5.4kg the DC24 is a slim line lightweight machine and it's compact design makes it very easy to store away. The cleaner is easy to get up and down the stairs and the handle (or compressible wand as it was referred to on QVC) is telescopic in design, meaning that it slots down into the back of the machine. However, there is a major flaw in this compact design - the dust container is very small and I find that it needs emptying almost after ever time we use it - sometimes after only doing two downstairs rooms, the kitchen and hallway (and I should add that our house is not excessively filthy by any means). The dust compartment is easy to unclip from the body and empty by pressing a button, but I can tell you now that doing this every time you clean is a real chore and I strongly recommend that you don't by this cleaner if you intend to use it for an average sized house. I would say the DC24 is only suitable for a small flat or cleaning the car. Instead you might consider the slightly bigger DC25, but if it sucks like the DC24 I wouldn't bother with that either.

One small point I would add (and one of the reasons we bought this model) is that the noise volume of the DC24 is slightly less than your average bagless cylinder vacuum cleaner - at least those which I've used in the past. It's still quite noisy however, and despite this small positive attribute, I still couldn't give this product more than two stars.

Like us, you should be able to get a five year warranty for this machine at most outlets where the DC24 is sold. I can assure however that ours will be on eBay well before the warranty runs out. How this cleaner won a Which? Best buy award I'll never know.